Is cycling your only form of exercise?

Just interested.

When I say exercise, sweating must play a part. Dog walking etc is exercise but not in this context.

For the most part, cycling is my only exercise. I used to climb, play squash, sail but as free time has become a premium they have all fallen by the wayside.

Just got me thinking after I went for a jog on Saturday morning and it felt like I’d been beaten up the next day. Still feel a little tender today. I know it’s doing me good but why does it have to hurt soooo much?

Yes – as you, I have less spare time so the other things have gone.

No. In fact I’m not that sure that cycling is much exercise for me. I play football and hockey and am pretty knackered after that, and the next day. Not so for cycling, even with a big day out. Probably need to push myself a bit harder when riding

sweating must play a part.

do you sweat when you swim?

Nope, mostly dinghy sailing these days.

do you sweat when you swim?

depends onthe pool temperature, ‘fitness’ pools will be cool enough to limit sweating, more recreational pools are usualy quite a bit warmer and yes you sweat buckets in those.

oh no, my right arm gets plenty of excercise!

I was, up until last week, playing football and (old man’s, touch) rugby. Before the football season started up, was playing tennis with my son.
However, that there tennis seems to have fudged up my heel/achilles, so no more sports that involve running for a month or so as I really do need to be able to stand up when I get out of bed in the morning. Shitty middle age bastard bollocks injury recovery shite.

No. I have a five year old and a two year old. Intensive turbo sessions and three hour rides at threshold are my warm down.

No. In addition to both road and MTB, I also run a lot. There are times when I think that I only cycle to give my legs a break from running. It gets worse in winter; dark nights and rain means no cycling during the week and more running.

@geetee, LOL, I’d forgotten about our 18 month old. Playing with that little bag of energy is knackering.

I’m concious as nickjb has pointed out that my top half and certain muscle groups are withering away with just cycling.

I used to do a lot of running as well as cycling, but with IT band problems this stopped several years ago and pretty much all I do is cycle.

Having been doing a fair amount of work in the garden recently, I have realised how ‘unconditioned’ I now am. My legs are OK (for cycling), but core strength is very low compared to what it used to be, as is my upper body strength.

There’s a gym opened up near me that’s very reasonable so I keep debating joining that for a bit of all round conditioning. Alternatively I’ll just carry on digging the garden over once a week – seems to work most muscle groups!!

was about to say walk a fair bit but sweat test rules that out.
In winter, curling as sport although don’t (usually!) sweat. Good workout though!

Not much else, I do some weight training and that’s about it. I’m doing Tough Mudder next may though so I should probably start running again. Problem is, after a run my back, hips and knees ache for days. Is that just something you get used to/overcome as you run more often?

Yes, it is really. I dinghy sail most weekends in the summer and do a bit of indoor climbing and running but it’s mostly bikes and I will always skip one of the others if a good ride is in the offing. It does mean my climbing suffers.

I’ve been training for a Tough Mudder so been doing more running and weights type stuff recently but I much prefer cycling as my exercise of choice.

Morris dancing is quite a good workout and does not get in the way of the cycling. But like cycling it involves getting out, wearing funny clothes, and, sometimes, lashings of beer. I feel nicely done in by both activities.

For years, riding to/from work (5 miles per day in total) has been pretty much my only exercise, other than having a job where I’m on my feet a lot and general walking about to get places.

I supplemented that with occasional weekend bike rides (often just 14 per year), as I have two young kids plus my job means too many weekends spent working at home and I’m terrible at motivating myself. This seemed to keep me ticking over, and I’m naturally skinny so could still knock out decent length MTB rides with hills, like Kielder 100, though not quickly.

Earlier this year, we started to do a Metafit session at the end of the day on Friday and 4 weeks ago I started running three times a week. I’m already noticing the difference this has made to my general fitness.

My kids are a bit older now, and work’s changed a bit, so I’m hoping to get out for weekend rides on a Sunday morning a bit more. I have a cx bike now, which makes local ‘easy’ off-road rides seem more fun so should make short local rides a bit more attractive.

No.
I do yogurt.

run very occasionally in winter when it is very wet
Do martial arts x3 per week – only sweat at two of them to be fair as one is with my kids.

yes.
and a bit of dog walking, and swimming with the granddaughter.

The odd run in winter, the odd swim in summer, cycling pretty much a constant. No field sports due to dodgy knees but I’m considering one of these regiment fitness programmes in my local park; as with people above, I don’t have much core strength these days.

Only running and cycling for me. I bought a road bike at the start of the year and made a conscious decision to stop running for a while and just concentrate on road riding over the summer.

Never, ever again- After going for a gentle run last week in advance of picking it up again for winter, I was totally f**ed after a gentle 25min run. Going to be painful getting back to the standard I was, I think.

I’ll definitely be cycling more next summer again but unless I’m injured I’m never going to completely stop the running, just ramp it down slightly.

Worse still, I’m not even that good on the road bike despite devoting a whole summer to nothing but that 😳

I’d like to say it isn’t but if I actually look at what I’ve been doing lately it is really. Like sandwhicheater I also used to do more running, climbing and squash but those have all dropped away this year. And while I’m working from home at the moment I’m not even doing much riding!

I play football once a week in addition to as much cycing as I can get in.

I have heard say that just cycling can shorted the Achilles?

(could be rubbish but a run around weekly gives me a different workout to cycling and is quite fun)

If only I could find an older football league to play in as losing to a group of 20 year olds can be a bit boring after a few years!

Mostly, road or MTB 3 or 4 times a week as well as a fair bit of walking with kids and dog. Would like to do something else, especially in winter but I am not sure what.

Scrabble, dancing and self abuse.

I love a quiet night in.

I run twice a week, mostly trail, and have started racing again, mostly within the trail scene.

Amazed at how quickly my legs recover after a trail marathon compared to a road one!

oh no, my right arm gets plenty of excercise!

well i have to let off steam somehow.

Mostly yes..

No, I Trail Run too, also bob around a swimming pool as well but thats not excersise.

Scrabble, dancing and self abuse.

I love a quiet night in.

Are they real ales?

Yes, but I do mix flavors; road, track and mountain bike. I also have the occasional indoor climbing session and, of course dog walking.

mostly yeah, in winter I do other stuff, run, 5 a side* occasional rubbish attempt at swimming and when I feel fat I’ll do a few sets of sit ups and press ups.

But for the most part and certainly when it’s nice whether I ride whenever possible.

*would like to do more but get niggling little injuries too often that affect cycling.

I ride and race road so I am way to knackered/ skint to do owt else.

I do something every day, usually at least 2 hours (gym, martial arts, cycling, running, squash)

I have a wife that works shifts and 2 young kids, so have to fit in. Often in gym at 5.15 am

Cycling was my only form of proper exercise (other than walking a couple of miles a day), until someone nicked my bikes. In the meantime I took up running. The first couple of times I felt like I’d gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson, but things have improved. I think I might just carry on, as it’s much easier to pop out for a run before work, than go for a ride.

used to play a lot of football, a bit of cricket and a few other sports such as running, swimming, climbing etc…stopped playing cricket about 10 years ago, havent been running for about 3 years, havent played football for over a year etc etc…
started doing karate with the boy 18 months ago but i havent done that for over 6 months now…so cycling it is

I have a wife that works shifts and 2 young kids, so have to fit in.

that’s one of the best thing about cycling, if you have a workable bike commute it’s part of your work day, “free” cycling time.

Crutching is my only form of exercise ATM

Used to swim & plat squash and badminton.
Swimming less due to pool water usually being cold and causing my joints to ache. Pool is now closed indefinitely for major repairs!
Squash. Had to give up for the 3rd and last time due to back/knee problems?
10ml round trip to work x2 a week, sometimes more but after a 12hr night shift it can be an effort 🙄
Badminton. Thinking about going back, season just starting at club I went to.
Work. Manual job and can get a fair sweat up occasionally requiring a change of boiler suit and undies 😉 Lots of stairs carrying tools etc.
MTB at least twice a week. Snowdon, Coed and Gwydyr done last weekend.
Off for a few days but dad is in hospital which has put a dampener on this weeks riding.
Auld guys medical tomorrow am, nae food tonight!
Taking out some newbies tomorrow am.
Dalbeattie for some Hardrock Challenge practice on Thurs and again at the weekend depending on auld mans position.

Just right at this moment With all my aches & pains I’d be happy to pack it all in…… 😐